The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/699,162 filed Jul. 14, 2005.
The present invention relates to control panels and more particularly to illuminated electronic control panels.
Illuminated control buttons are in wide spread use. A conventional control button includes a light source and a switch. A transparent or translucent window is typically formed in the button in the form of an icon, letter(s), number(s) or other symbols. Often, the light source (such as an LED) and switch (such as a push-button micro switch) are mounted to a circuit board positioned below the control button. It is desirable to center the switch on the button so that when the button is depressed, the mechanical resistance of the switch does not cause the button to cant or twist. If the button is off-center, pushing, the center of the control button may cause the button to tilt about the mechanical switch. This tilting reduces the aesthetic feel of the control button and may cause the control button to bind, thereby preventing smooth operation. It is also desirable to center the light source below the button so that the illumination appears centered on the button. An off-center light source may cause a portion of the window to glow more brightly than other portions. This may reduce the aesthetic appeal of the button and may make is difficult to see the entire symbol.
As can be seen, there is a desire to mount both the switch and the light source at the center of the control button. Unfortunately, a conventional control button assembly does not provide sufficient space for both the switch and the light source to be mounted at the center of the control button.